Ultrashort pulses of ultraviolet and vacuum-ultraviolet radiation of diffuse high-pressure gas discharges of picosecond duration

Abstract

The emissivity of a discharge with an extreme high energy input rate of more than 5 × 1013 A/s has been studied. The diffuse discharge in xenon and nitrogen media at a pressure in the range of 0.1–3 atm had a pulse duration (FWHM) of 200 ps, a voltage and current amplitude of 280 kV and about 5 kA, respectively. It was shown that the duration of the radiation pulse in both gases was close to the duration of the discharge pulse, with the radiation power being 60 MW in xenon and 1.2 MW in nitrogen. The emission spectrum of the discharge in xenon was mainly in the form of a continuum in the wavelength range of 110–440 nm, therewith the maximum of the spectrum was located beyond the short-wavelength boundary of this range. The emission spectrum of the discharge in nitrogen, in addition to a similar continual component, also contained an intense line at a wavelength of λ = 337 nm. Possible mechanism that determines the shape of the recorded spectra was discussed.